The Just Security Podcast What Just Happened: Federalization of Law Enforcement in Washington DC
Aug 14, 2025
Carrie Cordero, General Counsel at the Center for a New American Security, and Donell Harvin, former Chief of Homeland Security for D.C., dive deep into the recent federal takeover of the D.C. police department. They discuss the legal and policy implications of federalizing local law enforcement and the evolving role of the National Guard. The duo highlights the complexities of command in an emergency, weighing data-driven crime statistics against community safety concerns, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach to policing in the capital.
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Post‑9/11 Guard Memory
- David Aaron recalled post‑9/11 National Guard deployments in New York and worries about untrained out‑of‑state guardsmen policing city streets.
- He described a detective concerned his Guard son lacked urban policing training and appropriate equipment.
Distinct Missions Matter
- Federal law enforcement, state/local police, and the National Guard have distinct missions, training, and day-to-day roles.
- These differences matter when deciding which force should respond to urban public-safety problems.
Training And Daily Work Diverge
- Local police train extensively in community policing and discretionary street‑level judgment.
- Federal agents focus on investigations and complex crimes and typically lack routine community‑patrol training.